Posts Tagged ‘new library directors’

The Merrimack Valley Library Consortium (MVLC), a consortium consisting of thirty-six public libraries welcomed ten new directors in the past two years. While consortia, the Massachusetts Library System, and the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners rushed to welcome the new directors and provide them with additional training, they often found themselves confused and unsure of how to deal with deteriorating buildings, dwindling budgets, staffing demands, boards of trustees, friends groups, and public perceptions. Two new library directors, Peter Struzziero and Alex Lent, started a New Administrators Forum, where new directors could meet up, discuss challenges, and brainstorm solutions. This May, they held a program at the 2016 Massachusetts Library Association Annual Conference. Several established library directors, including me, were invited to attend the session to share their wisdom. Following the program, a listserv was established so that the group could stay in touch. What follows are those experiences.

In Episode 1, PLA Manager of Publications Kathleen Hughes talks to new library director Douglas Crane (Palm Beach County, Florida, Library System). Prior to and during his first year of serving as a library director, Crane embarked on a project to interview long-time public library directors to learn more about the job and to try and determine what makes a great library director.